Method and apparatus for opening,filling and closing of bags



Dec. 1, 'i970 K. v. FoRsBERG 3,5%465 4 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING,FILLING l AND CLOSING OF BAGS Filed Nov. 25, 1968 4 sheets-sheet 1 x Lllull, il!

ec. l, 1970 K. v. FORSBERG 3,543,466

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, FILLING 'l AND CLOSING OF BAGS FiledNov. 25, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 K. V. FORSBERG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOROPENING, FILLING Dec. 1,1970

AND CLOSING OF BAGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 25, 1968 Dec. l, 1970 K.v. FoRsBr-:RG 3543,46

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, FILLING AND CLOSING OF BAGS Filed Nov.225, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENIOR. @a Maw/Mm AV700/EK? 3,543,466METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, FILLING AND CLOSING OF BAGS KarlViking Forsberg, Alvsjo, Sweden, assignor to Avery Products Corporation,San Marino, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 2S, 1968,Ser. No. 778,419 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 28, 1967,16,331/ 67 Int. Cl. B65b 61/14 U.S. Cl. 53-14 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THEDISCLOSURE Plastic hose is cut into sections of desired height, and eachsection is sealed at the bottom to form a bag. The bag is held in a flatupright position while strips of pressure-sensitive labels are fed toboth sides of the bag on two carrier bands. Labels are glued to oppositesides of the bag at its upper end, with portions of the labelsprojecting above the opening end of the bag. The bag is then opened byusing the projecting portions of the labels to pull the opposite sidesof the bag apart. The bag is filled, and the projecting portions arereleased from their carrier bands and pressed against each other abovethe bag opening so as to close the bag.

BACKGROUND oF THEMVENTION This invention relates to a method andapparatus for opening, filling, and closing of bags, and moreparticularly to the use of strips of adhesive material as a mechanicalmeans for opening a bag before it is filled, and then closing the bag byusing the adhesive strips as a seal. v

At the present time, synthetic resins such as polyethylene and othertransparent plastic materials are widely used in the flexible packagingmarket. The conventional method for opening, filling, and closing apolyethylene bag includes using a suction cup or the like for openingthe bag, and applying a transverse heat seal to close the top of the bagafter it is filled. Labels are applied to the bag in a separateoperation, usually at the beginning of the process.

This invention makes it possible to continuously feed bags to a 1Jllingapparatus and to apply labels to the bag in one simple operation.Adhesive strips, preferably pressure-sensitive labels, are applied tothe sides of the bag, and then the adhesion of the strips to the bag isused to pull the bag open for filling. The upper portions of the stripsprojecting above the bag opening are pressed against each other to closethe bag after it is filled. No suction cup or its equivalent for openingthe bags is required, and problems of product identification areeliminated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In terms of method, this invention contemplatesapplying two adhesive strips to the sides of an upright bag at itsopening end. The strips are applied so that their upper portions reachabove the opening end of the bag without being pressed against eachother. The bag is opened by using the projecting adhesive strips to pullthe sides of the bag apart. After the bag is filled, it is closed bypressing the projecting adhesive strips against each other. The adhesivestrips preferably comprise pressure-sensitive nited States Patent labelsdispensed from carrying bands during the continuous feeding of bags to afilling apparatus. In order to facilitate suspending filled bags fromhorizontal carrying pins in a shop or market, holes are pierced throughthe adhesive strips and the bag walls.

In terms of apparatus, this invention contemplates a device for holdinga bag in an upright position with its opening ends situated below afilling opening. Two spacedapart dispensing edges support carrying bandswhich are fed over the edges. The bands carry successively-arrangedadhesive strips, preferably pressure-sensitive labels. A means isprovided for pressing the adhesive strips against the sides of the bagin the vicinity of its opening end so that upper portions of the stripsproject above the bag and remain stuck to the carrying bands. A carriagemoves at least one dispensing edge away from the other to open the bagbefore it is filled. A means is provided for releasing the projectingportions of the strips from their carrying bands and pressing themagainst each other above the opening of the bag to seal the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a side elevation of theapparatus of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the central and upper portionsof the apparatus of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the central portion of the apparatusof FIG. l showing closing of a filled bag;

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged elevation of the central portion of theapparatus of FIG. l showing piercing of a hole through the upper part ofthe bag;

FIG. 5 shows a View of an enlarged vertical section through the upperpart of the bag after the closing sequence; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, anelongated cylindrical carriage 2 is mounted in the upper portion of themachine frame 1. Carriage 2 supports a storage roller 3 preferablycomprising a hose of a transparent synthetic resin such as polyethylene.A plastic hose 6 is fed through a heating element 4 for applying atransverse heat seal 5 (FIG. 6) across the hose. A blade 7 is situatedso as to receive the hose after the heat seal has been applied. Theblade cuts the plastic hose in a transverse direction into pieces ofequal length corresponding to the height of a bag 8.

Two substantially identical label-feeding devices 9 and 10 are mountedin the central portion of the machine with a space between them at 11.The two devices cooperate to feed strips of pressure-sensitive labels tothe location 11 where bags are opened, filled and closed. The strips oflabels preferably comprise a plurality of consecutivelyarrangedself-adhesive labels mounted on a backing strip or carrying band.Feeding apparatus 9 includes a carriage 18 slidable back andforth in ahorizontal direction. The carriage 18 supports a storage roller 19 forastrip of labels 21 conveyed on a carrying band 20. The carrying band 20with the labels 21 is fed on the underside of a plate 22 over a roller23 so that the labels 21 are carried on the underside of the band. Thecarrying band 20 moves over a dispensing edge 24 which strips the labelsfrom the carrying band so that the labels are released one by one fromthe band. The body 18a of the carriage 18 supports plate 22 and ahorizontal shaft 25. A bell crank 26 is journaled about the shaft 25,and one arm 27 of the bell crank is connected to the armature 28 of anelectrical magnet 29. Another arm 30 projecting from the bell crank 26carries a roller 31 for pressing a label 21 against the bag 8 after thelabel is released from the carrying band 20. A roller 32 is mounted onthe carriage 18 for reeling the carrying band 20 released from thelabels 21.

The label feeding apparatus 1t) cooperates with feeding apparatus 9 toconvey labels to location 11, and is constructed in substantially thesame manner as feeding apparatus 9, except that it is mounted in astationary fashion on the stand 1. Consequently, feeding apparatus hasno carriage 18 displaceable back and forth.

A V-shaped bag support 14 is used to hold the bag in an upright positionduring the filling and closing sequence. The bag support 14 comprises, apocket shaped as a funnel, the pocket being displaceable vertically inthree steps. FIG. 2 shows the upper step wherein the bag 8, havingarrived through a chute 33 from the cutting device 7, is held in anupright position for filling. FIG. 3 shows the intermediate step whereinthe bag opening is closed and a hole is pierced through the upperportion of the bag. In the lower step, the bag is discharged after it isiilled and closed. The pocket formed by the bag support 14 has adischarge flap 35 journaled about a horizontal shaft 34. The Hap 35includes an arm 36 extending beyond the shaft 34. A stop means 37 is setin the vertical displacement path of the arm 36. The stop 37 ispreferably adjustable in the vertical direction. When the bag support 14is moved to the lowest of the three displacement steps, the arm 36strikes the stop 37, forcing the arm 36 and the flap 35 to be swung in acounter-clockwise direction according to the drawings so as to open thepocket. A piercing apparatus mounted below location 11 comprises amandrel 38 and a cushioning means 39 mounted opposite the mandrel 38.The mandrel and cushioning means are mounted on respective slide means41 and 42 slidably mounted on a horizontal guide 40. A rocker arm 43 islinked to the slides 41 and 42 by means of rods 44 and 45. The slidesare moved toward or away from each other during the piercing operationso that a hole 46 (FIG. 5) is pierced through the upper portion of thebag.

When a bag 8 is separated from the plastic hose 6 by the blade, the bagfalls into the bag support 14 which holds the bag in an upright positionas shown in FIG. 2. The bag is sufficiently stiff to remain in theposition shown. If the bag material is not suiciently stiff, a means isprovided for reinforcing the walls of the bag above the bag support 14.While the bag is held in an upright position, the carrying bands conveytheir labels to location 11 so that the lower portions 47 of the labelsare slightly below the upper end of the bag. When the machine is in thisposition, the upper portions 48 of the labels are still stuck to theirrespective carrier bands 20. The carriage 18 is then driven to the leftaccording to the drawings by means of a motor 16 schematicallyillustrated in the lower left-hand portion of FIG. l. The label 21 ofthe feeding apparatus 9 is a partly released and pressed against theupper portion of the adjacent side wall 49 of the bag 8. The oppositeside wall 50 of the bag is concurrently pressed against a partlyreleased label 21 carried on feeding apparatus 10. Thus, the two labels21 are applied to the upper outer portion of the bag at its opening end51. The carriage 18 and feeding apparatus `9 are then driven to theright, causing the walls 49 and 50 to pull apart at the opening end 51of the bag because the upper border portions 48 of the two labels 21 arestill stuck to their respective carrier bands 20. The bag 8 is theniilled through the `filling opening 12 located directly above location11. After the bag is filled the carriage 18 is again driven to the left.The bag support 14 is lowered one step and at the same time the two armsextending from bell crank 26 are swung so that the rollers 31 pressagainst the upper projecting portions 48 of the labels attached to thebag. Movement of the two levers 26 results from the attraction from thearmatures 28 of the electrical magnets 29. During the lowering of thebag 8, the two projecting portions 48 of the labels are glued to eachother by the pressing action of the rollers 31, thereby creating atransverse seal across the upper part of the bag. After the bag has beenclosed, the lower portion 7 of the labels 21 are positioned in front ofthe punch 38 and cushioning means 39 of the piercing apparatus 15. Theslides 41 and 42 are moved toward each other and the punch 38 is passedthrough the labels and the bag walls to form a hole 46. The bag support14 is further lowered and the arm 36 strikes the stop 37. This causesthe ap 35 to be swung in a counter-clockwise direction so that the bagscan slide on a guide sheet 52 down into a container 17 located directlybelow the guide sheet.

The various parts of the machine below the blade 7 return to theiroriginal position, and when a new bag is thereupon cut from the hose `6,the sequence of events described is repeated. This invention alsocontemplates a means for feeding bags from a pile or the like one by oneto the bag support 14. Thus, the bags do not have to be cut from a hoseor plastic material. The preferred hose of bag blanks may comprise amaterial other than synthetic resin.

This invention has been described for purposes of illustration only andis not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except asdeiined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method for opening, filling, and closing of bags, the methodcomprising the steps of applying at least two adhesive strips toopposite sides of a bag near its opening end so that portions of thestrips project above the opening without being pressed against eachother, pulling the projecting portion of at least one strip to separateopposed sides of the bag, filling the bag after it is opened, andclosing the bag by pressing the projecting portions of the stripsagainst each other.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive strips comprisepressure-sensitive labels.

3. The method according to claim 1, including the step of piercing atleast one hole through the adhesive strips and through the bag walls toprovide means for suspending the bag after it is filled.

4. An apparatus for using successively-arranged strips ofadhesive-backed material mounted on carrying bands to open, iill, andclose a bag, the apparatus comprising a means for supporting the openingend of a bag below a iilling apparatus, means for separately conveyingtwo carrying bands to a location near the opening end of a bag, twospaced-apart dispensing edges supporting the carrying bands forseparating a portion of each adhesive strip from its carrying band,means for pressing the separated portions of the strips against oppositewalls of the bag near its opening end so that portions of the stripsproject above the bag while remaining stuck to the carrying bands, meansfor moving at least one dispensing edge away from the other edge, meansfor separating the upper projecting portions of the strips from theircarrying bands, and means for pressing the separated projecting portionsagainst each other above the opening of the bag to form a seal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for supportingthe bag below the iilling opening is vertically displaceable from thelocation where the strips are pressed against the bag to the locationwhere the projecting portions of the strips are pressed against eachother.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, including means for piercingholes through the adhesive strips and the bag walls.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for supportingthe bag below the lling opening 5 includes a pvotally mounted iiapcapable of rotating so as to create a discharge opening for the bagafter it is filled.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the means for supportingthe bag below the filling opening includes a pivotally mounted flapcapable of rotating so as to create a discharge opening for the bagafter it is iilled.

9. The apparatus according to claim =6, wherein the means for supportingthe bag below the iilling opening includes a pivotally mounted flapcapable of rotating so as to create a discharge opening for the bagafter it is lled.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,597,634 5/1952 Grevich53-131 2,671,587 3/1954 Vogt 53137 5 2,671,588 3/1954 Vogt 53-1373,436,294 4/1969 Marano 156-384 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner 10 E.F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 53-29, 137, 384

